Bible Study on Luke 5:1-11

The Calling of the First Disciples

Central Truth: Jesus calls ordinary people to be witnesses for Him.

New International Version, (NIV), © 1984, International Bible Society

Luke 5: 1One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,^[a]with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, 2 he saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down^[b] the nets for a catch."

5 Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."

6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners.

Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men." 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

a. Luke 5:1 That is, Sea of Galilee

b. Luke 5:4 The Greek verb is plural.

Background: Matthew Henry’s Commentary: The miraculous draught of fishes, Peter, James, and John called: When Christ had done preaching, he told Peter to apply to the business of his calling. Time spent on week days in public exercises of religion, need be but little hinderance in time, and may be great furtherance to us in temper of mind, as to our worldly business. With what cheerfulness may we go about the duties of our calling, when we have been with God, and thus have our worldly employments sanctified to us by the word and prayer! Though they had taken nothing, yet Christ told them to let down their nets again. We must not abruptly quit our callings because we have not the success in them we desire. We are likely to speed well, when we follow the guidance of Christ's word. The draught of fishes was by a miracle. We must all, like Peter, own ourselves to be sinful men, therefore Jesus Christ might justly depart from us. But we must beseech him that he would not depart; for woe unto us if the Saviour depart from sinners! Rather let us entreat him to come and dwell in our hearts by faith, that he may transform and cleanse them. These fishermen forsook all, and followed Jesus, when their calling prospered. When riches increase, and we are tempted to set our hearts upon them, then to quit them for Christ is thankworthy.

Key Questions and Issues:

Verses 1-3:

Jesus enlisted the services of Simon and his boat even before He called him. He used the boat as a platform for His teaching.

q How can we involve people in ministry even before they come to faith?

q How might this give them exposure to Christianity, to the message and God’s people?

q Can you remember your impressions of the church, of Christian faith, or of Christians before you made a commitment to Him? How important was that exposure?

Verse 4:

The next thing Jesus did with Simon was take him fishing – on Simon’s own boat! Through that experience He was able to accomplish two things. (1) He bonded with Simon. (2) He shared an experience with Simon that He was able to use as an illustration of His call.

q What are some ways that we can bond with non-believers as we seek to “make friends for Christ?”

q What are some common every day experiences that might be used to illustrate the call of Jesus in people’s lives?

Verse 5:

Simon had very low expectations of fishing with Jesus because his previous experience had disappointed him. He had been fishing all night with little success and was frustrated. However, he had been listening to Jesus and was apparently impressed. He was willing to try again, but only because Jesus said so. Jesus had earned an influence in Simon’s life.

q What sorts of frustrations and low expectations do people around us have regarding their own futures and matters of faith? Have many people just given up?

q What are some ways that we might win the right and the ability to have influence over people and how might we use that influence over people to persuade them to take another look at Jesus Christ?

Verses 6-7:

What happened next was a surprise to everyone except Jesus. The only difference in the fishing was that He was with Simon and that He was directing the efforts. Often, people think they have tried everything, but they have tried it all on their own. They are surprised when they get a taste of the possibilities of life with Jesus Christ. We can help people take such a taste and accumulate some life experiences that verify the claims of Christ.

q Did you or someone you know ever experience the difference of the faith life before actually coming to Christ? Tell us about that.

q What is the difference that “launching out into the deep” and “fishing with Jesus” makes in your life over going it alone?

q How do you help other people understand the difference?

q Do you ever revert to the old pattern of “fishing alone?” What are the typical results?

Note: Jesus was modeling with Simon what it means to “fish for men.” He was also teaching Simon that in his future ministry, which he was yet to even imagine, he would not do so alone or on his own initiative. Nor would he be fishing in shallow waters.

Verses 8-10a:

To say the least, Simon and his other companions were impressed. In the same way, when we take non-believers “fishing” with us and involve them in Christian life and ministry, they are often impressed with what God does. They can find no explanation for it. They are amazed and somewhat bewildered. Notice that Jesus never mentioned their sin, yet Simon came under deep conviction of his sin and bowed down before Jesus, calling Him Lord. All Jesus had really done was to take them fishing after a “Bible study” lesson.

q What can your learn about witnessing from the example of Jesus? How can we practice His example?

q What does it take to impress non-believers? Why is important?

q Remembering that he had been exposed to a verbal witness, how did Jesus’ demonstration make Simon aware of His sin? What does it take for people to come under conviction? Do we need to badger them or expose them to truth?

q What was happening spiritually that caused Simon to bow down and call Jesus Lord? What brought you to this point in your spiritual life? If it has not happened yet, what would it take?

Verses 10b-11:

Finally, Jesus defined for Simon and the others what their experience had all been about. He called them to discipleship as He calls each of us. He calmed their fears and assured them that they would become “fishers of men.” This call was so compelling and attractive to them that they left everything to follow Him. In less than a day, they had come to understand that in order to experience real significance in their lives, they would need to follow Jesus.

q How important is significance in a person’s life? What does it mean?

q When and how did you first realize that God was calling you? How did you respond?

q What does it take for a person to leave everything and follow Jesus? Would you be bold enough to ask someone to do that? Have you done that?

q What does it mean to be a “fisher of men?”

q How will you apply the lessons of Jesus to your own personal witnessing this week?

Practical Applications

q Who are some people in your life that you need to spend time with as a way of exposing them to the claims of Christ?

q How might you involve them in ministry or fellowship in order to give them a taste of Christian life, faith, and Christians?

q Pray for these people and each other for opportunities, awareness, wisdom, and spiritual power to accomplish great things for the Kingdom of God.

Luke 4:38-44

Luke 4:38-44

Lessons from Jesus

1. “Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.”

Romans 2: 17Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and brag about your relationship to God; 18if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; 19if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, 20an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."

Translate that cliché into “Put Your Actions Where Your Mouth Is,” or “Live What You Teach.”

Illustration:

Luke 4: 38Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon's mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. 39So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.

Lesson – We are saved to serve.

2. Flip Wilson said, “What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG).”

25Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. 26If those who are not circumcised keep the law's requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? 27The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the^[c] written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.

Translate that cliché into: “The outward symbolism of your life (your deeds) reveal more about who you are than hidden or obscure symbols.”

Illustration:

40When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. 41Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ.

Lesson: It is not enough to know who Jesus is if we have no intention to obey Him and follow Him.

3. Dorothy Parker said, “Beauty Is Only Skin Deep, But Ugly Goes Clean to The Bone.”

28A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God.

Translate that cliché into, “You can’t correct what is wrong in the outer man with more symbols or even actions; you have to change his heart.”

Illustration:

42At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. 43But he said, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent." 44And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

Lesson #1 – Jesus prioritized the preaching of the gospel over everything else, because only the gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes.

Lesson #2 – You can’t stay where you are and follow Jesus.

Fair Warning

I'm going to start posting my outlines whether or not they are refined.

Just whatever it is. We can edit later.

Offending Sensibilities

20And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

21And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

22And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?

23And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.

24And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.

25But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;

26But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.

27And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.

28And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,

29And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.

30But he passing through the midst of them went his way,

The Great Calling

Luke 4:14-20

There is a calling in our lives. It is specific and it is special. Each of us shares some strong elements of a common call and each of us is called to a particular role that is ours and ours alone. Jesus emerged from His wilderness trial confirmed in what He already knew. He exemplified the champion of a ministry that He would call us to share. He announced not only His personal ministry, but a new Messianic era. It was and is the Great Calling and it paved the way for us.

14 -And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.

Having withstood near starvation and ruthless temptation, Jesus returned to Galilee. In returning, He did so in the power of the Holy Spirit. It was that same Spirit who had filled Him at His baptism and led Him into the wilderness. It was that same Spirit who would accompany Him throughout His ministry and upon whom He would rely. It was that same Spirit He would give to the believers at Pentecost and to us today. Jesus called upon no other power than that which He gives to us freely.

He just did it perfectly and in perfect submission.

As He went forth, His fame spread. There was a buzz. People were talking. Luke does not record any miracles up until this point. Nor does he tell us the content of any of Jesus’ teaching in the synagogues. Yet, there was something about Him and everywhere He went, people noticed.

Is there something about your life as Christ dwells in you? Is there a uniqueness and spiritual vitality that people can notice even if they cannot define it? Those who move in the power of the Spirit have it and it attracts attention.

Lesson # 1 – Walk in the Spirit and Listen for the Buzz.

There is no greater resource for your Christian life. You simply cannot live it apart from the Holy Spirit. If you do walk in the Spirit, you’ll reflect the life of Jesus everywhere you go and people will see the difference. You won’t have to manipulate the conversations to bring Him into them.

15 - And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.

We know how Jesus taught. We read His words throughout the gospels. He shattered stereotypes, defied norms, redefined tired old religious language, and challenged empty traditions and prejudicial assumptions wherever He went.

Having been freed the need to prove Himself (significance), having settled the matter of His mission and loyalty (surrender) once and for all, and having laid aside all definitions and means success other than those that were from His Father and intrinsic to His nature, He could simply be who He was and say what He was given to say.

His countrymen were not accustomed to preachers like that. The early polls indicated approval. People were praising Him, but the unanimity of that praise would not last. He was about to become controversial.

Lesson # 2 – Settle on Your Identity in Christ and Be Yourself.

You have nothing to prove and nothing to lose. Be yourself – the person God made you to be – not the phony baloney self that you have fashioned for public consumption, but the truth-telling, Spirit-walking, joy-living, love-giving person you really are.

16 - And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

Then He went home. It is tough going home. You will always be the little boy or girl they used to know. Familiarity to breeds many things, but one of them surely is contempt – not hostility – just contempt. He returned to His home synagogue where He had read aloud many times. This time would be different.

We all enjoy going home and we all have a sense of trepidation about it. How will we present ourselves? Will we be accepted? How will people relate to the experiences and insights we’ve had since we left?

Lesson # 3 – Don’t Be Afraid to Go Home and, when in Doubt, Let the Scriptures Speak for You.

Again, we have Jesus, the called, looking for a way to let the people who thought they knew Him know who He really was. Those folks thought they already knew. They had Him boxed in. Some folks think they know who you were; they have you defined, categorized, and set upon a course that they have predicted. Don’t buy into it. God designs you, defines you, and directs you.

17 - And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

We pronounce the name of this book, “Isaiah.” He was the great prophet who had predicted the exile and return as well as the coming of the Messiah, the Suffering Servant. Jesus knew where to find the passage He wanted for that day. He knew exactly. He had immersed Himself in the scriptures all of His life. They had provided the foundation for His life and they had provided the ammunition He had needed to face temptation in the wilderness. Now, they would define His mission.

Lesson # 4 – If You Want to Be Sure of Your Calling, Prepare Your for Life by Immersing Yourself in the Sacred Scriptures.

If the One who authored them read them, at what point to we become to wise or familiar with them to leave them behind? Jesus came under the authority of the Word of God and centered His life and ministry in them. We can learn from that.

The old hymn goes like this:

Sing them over again to me,

Wonderful words of life.

Let me more of their beauty see,

Wonderful words of life.

Words of life and beauty,

Teach me faith and duty.

Beautiful words, wonderful words.

Wonderful words of life.

18 - The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me” is what a Messiah might say – certainly one who is certain of His words, certain that what He is saying is from God and is authoritative. It is the voice of confidence and clarity.

“He has anointed me.” Messiah means, “one anointed by God.”

Lesson # 5 – You Are Not the Messiah, but You Are Indwelt by Him. Therefore, speak with Confidence.

That gives you the authority that comes from being directly under authority. And it bestows confidence upon you.

“He has anointed me to …” Somehow, the One about whom it is ALL ABOUT had the attitude that it was not all about Him. For Jesus, it was about the message and for us it is about the message., Of course, He is the message because He is the agent of the liberation He is about to proclaim.

Lesson # 6 – It’s Not All About You. It IS All About the Message.

“To preach the gospel to the poor…” The Master who needs no affirmation from any man, does not need the status of a court prophet, a ladder climber, or an elite circle runner. He came to preach good news to the neediest of all. He would explain that the poor are the truly blessed because of their special place in the Kingdom. The poor could not help Jesus climb to power and He chose to relate to them.

Anyone can be poor enough to be included if they will just see themselves for what they are.

Lesson # 7 – Jesus Has Set the Pattern for Our Individual Callings with His Great Calling.

God has created you with a unique ability to proclaim the message that Jesus proclaimed. You will do it in your own way. You may focus on a particular component of it, but you share His overall calling to share good news with the poor and “ to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,”

We need to measure the success or failure of our church’s ministries against the standard of Jesus as He read from Isaiah:

q Are the poor being told the good news? Or are targeting only those audiences that we think can make our churches gown and stroke our egos. It’s not that God does not care about the rich in this world’s wealth, but He can’t help them much until they know how poor they are.

q Are the brokenhearted being healed? He is not saying that He has come to relieve our superficial sadness. It is more. People hearts are broken and that is more than being forlorn and lovelorn. It is about losing heart and giving up, throwing in the life towel and resigning from life. We have a message that can revive the heart and it is our calling to deliver it to the point of brokenness for the ultimate healing.

q Are captives being delivered? Are people coming out of addictions and sin? Are they being lifted? Is Satan losing the battle for people’s souls?

q Are the blind seeing? Are we doing our best and seeing some results in the ministry of physical, emotional, and spiritual healing and we promote a message of wholeness and truth? Are eyes being opened that once were oblivious to truth? Are people perceiving reality in a new way?

q Are we setting people free from the chains that bind them and the old tapes that tell them they can never be any more than they are? Are we communicating our calling through His calling that people in bondage have a calling as well and that they can become more than they are?

q Is it happening? Is the Spirit of the Lord upon us? Are we confidently embracing our call?

19 - To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Jesus announced a new day. A careful study of the text including the context of Isaiah, informs us that Jesus was announcing a Messianic age and that He was the fulfillment of the Messianic Year of Jubilee. It was bold and scandalous, but it was true and He did not hold back.

We live in the Messianic Age of Jesus Christ. We live in the Day of Grace, the Moment of Liberation, a Time of Hope – the Day of the Lord!

These are urgent times and these are opportune times.

20 - And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

21 - And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

There was something about the way He spoke that they knew more was coming, but His sermon was very short and very powerful.

Today, this scripture is fulfilled.

And everything is fulfilled in Christ – all of our hopes and expectations, all of our needs and all of our aspirations, the whole law, the prophets, and the wisdom of the Hebrew Scriptures, all the wisdom of the ages, all the longings of humanity through the generations.

Lesson # 8 – This Is the Time to Proclaim Christ and That Is Our Highest Calling.